Software License OptimizationBuy Only the Software You Need; Use All of the Software You Have2018-05-03T13:03:12Zhttps://blogs.flexera.com/elo/feed/atom/WordPressSLO-Taiwanhttps://feedburner.google.comTom Canninghttps://blogs.flexera.com/elo/?p=31772018-05-03T13:03:12Z2018-05-03T13:03:12ZWe’re very pleased to announce that Flexera has acquired the Switzerland-based Software Asset Management (SAM) and endpoint management provider, Brainwaregroup. The deal significantly expands our presence in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (DACH). It also extends our global leadership as the SAM provider of choice for large and midsize enterprises.

This is a great fit for both companies. Brainwaregroup shares our philosophy of delivering competence, quality and value. As a company, we’re extremely committed to Europe – and their extensive European customer base allows us to quickly build on their successes and, together, expand customer value in this important region.

Flexera’s best known for our leadership in the large-enterprise space. But, we also know from our successes in the mid-market that companies of all sizes demand a high-quality SAM solution from a supplier with deep experience and expertise. Brainwaregroup has strong ties to both large and mid-size enterprises in DACH. Those relationships, combined with our broad vision and global reach, will help us accelerate plans to deliver high-value solutions to customers of all sizes.

Committed to quality and excellence

The game has changed for companies everywhere. Customers demand more from their technology assets and suppliers. They expect – and deserve – faster time to value, more complete solutions and trustworthy data to drive better business outcomes. At Flexera we’re achieving our promise to meet these needs by rapidly building or buying the best technology through M&A, such as today’s acquisition and others including Meta SaaS and BDNA.

Brainwaregroup offers a suite of SAM and other solutions, with a strong following of 500+ customers. They’re an award-winning supplier focused on quality and competence. With ‘end-to-end’ capabilities in software lifecycle management, they partner with customers over the long term with solutions and technical expertise across disciplines, from SAM to software and operating system deployment, security patch remediation and multi-platform datacenter inventory.

Expanding the definition of SAM

As Flexera continues to drive consolidation in the SAM space we’re not resting on our laurels. We’re proud to offer a broad vision unifying SAM with other essential functions like security, IT Service Management, IT Financial Management and other disciplines – all powered by common data.

Practically speaking, this means the underlying technology asset data powering FlexNet Manager Suite for Enterprises is the most accurate and comprehensive in the world. As a result, customers have immediate access to actionable intelligence to simplify integration, improve decision-making and accelerate business transformation.

We’re proud to include our colleagues at Brainwaregroup in this expanded vision. And we’re thrilled to welcome our new customers to the Flexera family.

]]>0https://blogs.flexera.com/elo/2018/05/brainwaregroup/Tom Canninghttps://blogs.flexera.com/elo/?p=31722018-05-02T16:35:49Z2018-05-02T16:35:49ZWe’re very pleased to announce that we’ve just extended our global Software Asset Management (SAM) leadership by acquiring Meta SaaS, the developer of the most advanced software as a service (SaaS) spend management solution on the market. The solution is being rebranded as Flexera SaaS Manager.

Why have we made this acquisition? The game has changed for companies everywhere. Customers are finally demanding more from their technology assets and suppliers. They expect – and deserve – faster time to value, more complete solutions and trustworthy data to drive better business outcomes. We’re delivering on our promise to meet these needs by rapidly building or buying the best technology, like Meta SaaS.

SaaS is becoming a very expensive and risky venture for our customers. The number of SaaS apps in use is skyrocketing – especially if you’re a small or mid-size company. You may be surprised to know that as much as one third of the SaaS applications running in your environment aren’t even being used. Why? If you’re organization is like most, you don’t have clear visibility into the SaaS apps in use across the enterprise. That means you can’t effectively manage them, so your costs and risk spin out of control.

At Flexera, we’re all about optimizing technology assets and minimizing risk. With Flexera SaaS Manager, now we can help you rein in your SaaS spend and minimize risk.

The SaaS spend management tool you select needs to have both depth and breadth. Flexera SaaS Manager has got them both. With a catalog of more than 32,000 SaaS applications, you can intelligently manage contract renewals through proactively generated, easy-to-read reports. Flexera SaaS Manager can also monitor license utilization for more than 6,200 of those SaaS applications. But the secret sauce lies with deep, direct product integrations. Flexera SaaS Manager has more than any other SAM Provider – more than 250 direct integrations!

True SaaS Spend Optimization

By integrating directly with the most widely used SaaS applications in the world – from Adobe® to Zoom®, we can deliver business intelligence about when and how users interact with them. That means understanding true SaaS ROI and the true impact of SaaS application usage for your high-spend SaaS apps like Salesforce®, Office 365®, Slack™ and Box® just to name a few.

To get to optimization, Flexera SaaS Manager does all the foundational work for you. For example, you have to know which SaaS apps are running in your environment, and who’s using them. The tool will give you instant visibility – regardless of whether those apps were procured through official channels or unofficial ones (Shadow SaaS). We can securely connect with expense, accounting, and payment systems to identify and consolidate all SaaS apps in use into a single dashboard – shining a light on Shadow SaaS.

Once you know what SaaS apps you’re running, you can take the next step of optimizing them. For example, one telecommunications company leveraged Meta SaaS (now Flexera SaaS Manager) to scan just one year’s worth of Concur expense reports. They discovered $10 million worth of Shadow SaaS in their environment – 295 unsanctioned products from 266 different vendors.

Minimizing SaaS Risk

If your company is like most, as employees come and go and roles change you struggle with securing corporate data from the people that shouldn’t have access to it. A lot of companies use tactics like checklists, emails and single sign-on (SSO) technology. But SSO only works for the SaaS apps it’s connected to. Most organizations don’t deploy SSO for all their SaaS vendors – especially when Shadow SaaS is rampant and employees are using SaaS apps IT doesn’t even know about.

In addition, most people don’t realize that a SSO system can be out of sync with the HR system and/or user account information in the SaaS application itself. This happens all the time, for instance, when employees have been given direct access privilege outside of your SSO processes. Having this blind spot exposes you to regulatory compliance risk like GDPR, which requires you to understand the systems containing personally identifiable data, and who has access to them.

Flexera SaaS Manager will help you resolve the SaaS management and security blind spot. Augmenting current SaaS security processes, it will connect your HR record to SaaS vendor records, producing intelligent, accurate checklists identifying exactly what each employee truly has access to. This lets your IT team compare its records against hard data when creating secure SaaS accounts.

We think every customer needs to understand exactly how much waste and risk their SaaS investments expose them to. Only a tool with true depth and breadth can get you there. As the global market leader in SAM – we can now offer you the best SaaS spend management capability on the market. For more information about Flexera SaaS Manager, check in with your Flexera account rep, Or just contact us.

The Voice of the CustomerGartner Peer Insights are reviews written by actual Flexera customers and users of our solutions. Our solution, FlexNet Manager Suite for Enterprises, scored highly across all product and service categories, and 100% of reviewers said they’d recommend FlexNet Manager Suite to others. What did these Flexera customers have to say?

“The Cadillac of SLO tools”

“FlexNet Manager one of the best Asset Management tools out there”

“Quick implementation with rapid cost avoidance opportunities”

“A great SAM tool that will ensure ROI”

“Flexera is your one stop shop for Asset Management”

“Awesome tool and Technical support is second to none. Really matured our SAM capability!”

These customer reviews illustrate a common thread. They demonstrate Flexera’s excellent product quality, innovation, customer service and support. They also illustrate how FlexNet Manager Suite delivers software cost savings, value and return on investment to customers of all sizes and in all types of industries.

Our leadership among SAM suppliers is not by accident. We’ve always led through innovation. For example, we were the first to look at Software Asset Management through an optimization lens. We innovated the optimization technology that enables customers to move beyond simply understanding what software they have. Optimization lets customers actually spend less and minimize waste. And Flexera’s reporting and analytics capabilities deliver visibility into usage and consumption, and lets customers buy only the software they need, use what they have, and negotiate smarter contracts.

Fueling Software Asset ManagementWhile we take a quick “celebratory lap” in honor of being named a Gartner MQ Leader, we are not resting. Flexera is doubling down on our culture of innovation.

We’re reimagining how access to great SAM and technology asset data can change the game, not only for the Software Asset Manager but other functional groups like security, IT Service Management, IT Financial Management and Enterprise Architecture teams.

All these roles have one thing in common: the need for comprehensive and accurate technology asset data.

Data is the “oil” fueling software license optimization. And our Data Platform that underpins FlexNet Manager Suite for Enterprises houses the world’s largest and most accurate technology asset data repository:

Powered by 150 Million data points

More than 223,000 price list-normalized applications from more than 16,000 software vendors

More than 1.36 Million Stock Keeping Units (SKUs)

More than 2,000 Product Use Rights Templates

Our Data Platform will change the SAM industry again, so that every customer will be able to optimize all their technology assets – from software and hardware to cloud and Internet of Things devices.

Want to learn more about the importance of data to Software Asset Management? Be sure to register for our webinar “Data – Fuel for the Enterprise.” You will learn how:

To get data out of the organizational silos and into the hands of the groups that need it

Accurate, immediate and actionable data aligns organizations and fuel enterprise decisions for years to come.

Register Here
Be sure to join us at the following dates and times for this informative session:

]]>0https://blogs.flexera.com/elo/2018/04/gartner-names-flexera-a-2018-sam-magic-quadrant-leader/Flexerahttps://blogs.flexera.com/elo/?p=31212018-04-12T17:22:03Z2018-03-26T18:36:02ZThere has been a lot of buzz lately around the Flexera Ecosystem. We wanted to find out more about this and talked to Tom Canning, Vice President of Strategy for Flexera.

What is the Flexera Ecosystem?
TC: Flexera is opening up our platform to partners, developers and customer who want to integrate and expand the value with existing Flexera products. We are adding partner solutions that integrate natively with Flexera products.

Why is this important to Flexera?TC: Flexera has been working to reimagine the software supply chain. Customers have varying business needs that no one solution can address. We know we can’t do this alone. We need partners that have complementary solutions to add business value to address the business needs.

What is the Flexera Solution Exchange?
TC: Flexera Solution Exchange is the market place to find applications that are complementary to Flexera solutions. The solutions published to the Solution Exchange are products developed by partners in the Technology Alliance Partner program. These have been vetted to ensure they integrate with Flexera solutions following the guidelines laid out by Flexera.

I’m a Flexera customer. How can I access the Solution Exchange ?
The “Find a Partner” web page allows you to browse the Solution Exchange.

What can you tell us about the Technology Alliance Partner (TAP) Program?
TC: This program is available to any partner that wants to integrate their products with Flexera products. Flexera provides the software development kits (SDKs) and technical assistance to integrate with Flexera products. When customers buy Flexera products and partner products, they get access to the integrations out of the box and will reduce the time to value.

Who are the TAP program partners?
TC: We have eight partners in our TAP program today. They are:

Why should I care about Flexera’s ecosystem and TAP program?
TC: Customers have multiple challenges in procurement, deployment, management and security of software in the enterprise. With Flexera’s ecosystem and solutions from partners in the TAP program, you will be able to get the broadest value available in the market.

Where can I learn more about the Ecosystem and partner programs?
TC: Learn about our partner programs on the Explore Flexera’s Partner Programs web page.
If you are interested in becoming a partner, please fill out the form on the Become a Partner web page.

For an in-depth interview with Tom Canning, be sure to watch the 8-part video series “Tom and Ray Talk 2018’s Top IT Business Issues.” Featuring R “Ray” Wang of Constellation Research, you will learn the most important topics facing IT and Business Executives today.

]]>0https://blogs.flexera.com/elo/2018/03/introducing-the-flexera-ecosystem/Flexerahttps://blogs.flexera.com/elo/?p=31102018-03-05T18:34:14Z2018-03-06T15:00:19ZFlexera is extremely pleased to announce today that our investment partnership with TA Associates, announced on December 19, 2017, has closed. TA Associates is a leading global growth private equity firm. TA acquired equity from existing investors, and will work in partnership with existing lead investor Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan to continue to grow the company.
]]>0https://blogs.flexera.com/elo/2018/03/flexera-investment-partnership-with-ta-associates-has-closed/Eric J. Feldmanhttps://blogs.flexera.com/elo/?p=30812018-04-05T11:55:25Z2018-02-27T00:19:45Z

Clouds come in many types. Cumulus clouds are the big puffy white clouds you see on sunny days with a beautiful blue sky visible around them. Stratus clouds are a uniform layer of grayish cloud resembling fog that overcasts the sky and blocks out the sun. Cirrus clouds are thin white strands that streak across the sky at high altitudes, letting a lot of sky visible from below.

As this is a technology asset management blog, you know we are not here to talk about the sky. The IT environment is very different today than just a few years ago. The traditional IT environment consists of a datacenter that offers services through a corporate network or via remote workers through a VPN.

The modern IT environment, however, in addition to the traditional IT offerings, includes a multitude of cloud services that are accessed by people inside or outside the firewall. Basically, if you are not yet using the cloud, you will be, and this shift brings enormous challenges due to the lack of visibility.

Some of the impacts around lack of visibility include:

Security breaches

Increased cost of support

Reduced performance

Compliance risk

Reduced productivity

If you are a professional in the areas of IT Asset Management, Vendor Procurement, Datacenter, or ITSM, then maintaining transparency into virtual and cloud assets is vital to your role. So how can you learn more about why improving cloud visibility is crucial?

]]>0https://blogs.flexera.com/elo/2018/02/is-the-sky-cloudy-or-transparent/Flexerahttps://blogs.flexera.com/elo/?p=28622018-04-05T11:55:32Z2018-02-16T21:07:56ZWhen you are in the implementation cycle of your Software Asset Management (SAM) solution, it is critical that each process, operating procedure and role in an organization is reviewed. Technology can help automate processes to save time and effort. For a successful project, however, it is important that processes are updated to ensure the asset management life cycle is sustained, and software data within the SAM tool remains current. This allows for sound business decisions and proper actions to be taken when renewing and reallocating software license entitlements, and is a vital step in setting up any SAM program.

Multiple Stakeholders Necessitates Role Clarity

SAM crosses many organizations within an enterprise. SAM is impacted by software procurement, contract/agreement negotiations, installation requests, hardware deployment/refresh, etc. With all of these functional stakeholders as part of the lifecycle, it is important to have role clarity. During an implementation phase, a role and feature matrix can assist with feature assignment. And when evaluating SAM tools, there are specific capabilities you should consider to help in creating a transparent environment

The capability to create roles based on the responsibilities defined in the SAM processes and RASIC/RACI documentation.

The flexibility for data to be maintained by those who have the responsibility across the enterprise.

The capability to for role based access. This allows users to have access to only those areas that they are required to read and/or edit the data that is specified by their role within the SAM processes.

Revisiting Processes May Also Require Role Re-Definition

SAM processes and procedures are not solely impacted by the implementation of a SAM program and tool. The way software is handled in each organization across the enterprise may be required to change.

The SAM team should meet with each stakeholder organization (i.e. procurement, contract, hardware asset management, request management, etc.) to outline new processes as well as document roles and responsibilities.

Each organization needs to understand the impact, role, and effort in maintaining software asset management data. RASIC or RACI matrices can assist in documenting which organization will own the tasks and activities that are needed for each process.

Once the processes have been documented, roles and responsibilities clearly defined and organizational stakeholders have agreed and approved, a SAM tool can be updated accordingly.

There are times where a role must be divided up across regions and, at times, even by countries.

It is of the utmost importance to ensure that all parties are in agreement with the roles and responsibilities to support SAM going forward. Do not underestimate that this can be a challenging task.

Reporting Can Assist with Adherence to New Processes and Roles

In an effort to ensure that the processes and procedures to support SAM are being adhered to and are functioning correctly (no adverse effects), there needs to be reporting and dashboards put in place to measure success.

The SAM team will need to monitor and report the percentage of success to all business stakeholders. This will ensure that the SAM team and data within their SAM tool is maintained and accurate across the enterprise and the success of the SAM program.

If available, leverage the out of the box reports to assist with providing a holistic view of your data health.

Create custom reports to meet the needs of stakeholders. Be sure to distribute the reports on a regular cadence to support process adherence.

In summary, revisiting your stakeholder role definitions in concert with your SAM processes and operating procedures will ensure that you have a team “rowing in rhythm” and enabling you to harvest optimal benefits from your SAM program.

If you need help with your Software License Optimization project, check out the comprehensive consulting, implementation and training offerings from Flexera Global Consulting Services. Our experts in license compliance services are fully versed in software asset management (SAM) best practices as well as the functionality of our solutions. They apply proven methodologies that result in thorough planning, sound design, and smooth implementation and configuration of your Software License Optimization solutions.

Did you find this information useful? SUBSCRIBE to the Software License Optimization Blog!

And for the latest insights to Software Asset Management and IT Asset Management, follow SAM Insights on Twitter!

]]>0https://blogs.flexera.com/elo/2018/02/whats-in-a-role/Eric J. Feldmanhttps://blogs.flexera.com/elo/?p=27862018-04-05T11:55:41Z2018-01-29T22:52:45ZI was in a meeting recently and a discussion came up around using software, and what could happen if purchase records could not be proven during a vendor audit.

One of my colleagues made a statement that I have heard before but have not really connected to Software Asset Management:

“It’s easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.” Do you know who originally said this? More about this at the end of this blog.

This statement made me think. Do companies really do this in practice with software vendors? Do they routinely just install software without a proactive approach toward license compliance? In other words, are they more concerned about asking “forgiveness” during a software vendor audit than reviewing their “permission” of product license rights?

If this sounds familiar, you could be spending far more money than you need to, and setup yourself up for a huge disruption due to an audit at some point in the future.

Here are some examples of potential negative impact if your SAM Program is reactive, not and not proactive:

Risk of software audits

Software audits are expensive. In a survey by Flexera, 65% of organizations were audited at least once in the past 12 months, and 23% were audited more than three times. Those license true costs were expensive. 44% resulted in a cost of over $100,000, with 20% over $1 million. [i]

Remember that any money spent as a result of an audit is an unbudgeted expenditure that must be diverted from other strategic projects.

Overspending on software.

In the same survey, 62% organizations said that at least 10% of their software went unused. 30% said that over 20% of their software was unused. For many companies, that is the equivalent of wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Software licensing costs account for a significant portion of the typical IT budget—as much as 25 percent. This is a substantial cost for today’s enterprise.

3. Exposure to malware and security risk

According to the Business Software Alliance (BSA) recent Global Software Survey, 39% of all software installed globally is not licensed. In addition, 25% of the software used in the banking, insurance, and securities industries was unlicensed. And there is a high correlation between the use of unlicensed software and encountering malware. The threat of software vulnerabilities can be expensive, with the average cyberattack costing an organization $11 million. [ii]

So the key takeaway is that unlicensed software can be both risky and expensive.

Sometimes, “It’s easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission” might work for you when borrowing a car, scoring tickets to the big game and not taking your significant other, or eating that last piece of delicious cake. When it comes to software licensing, however, “asking for forgiveness” is quite risky and potentially costly. A proactive approach towards Software Asset Management with the right processes and solutions will enable continuous license compliance and the peace of mind that comes from the fact you will not need to ask for forgiveness from a software vendor.

So, how can you learn more about a proactive approach towards Software Asset Management? I would like to share with you three on-demand webinars that cover this in more depth. Whether you are in an IT Procurement, IT Asset Manager, or IT Finance, or IT Security role, you will learn some tips and insights to avoid having to ask for forgiveness.

Finally, “It’s easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission[iii]” is generally attributed to Rear Admiral Grace Hopper. She was a pioneer of computer programming, and at the time of her retirement, was the oldest active-duty commissioned officer in the United States Navy.

Did you find this information useful? Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to the Software License Optimization Blog!

And for the latest insights to Software Asset Management and IT Asset Management, follow SAM Insights on Twitter!

[i] The State of the (Software) Estate: Waste Is Running Rampant in Enterprises. 2016 Key Trends in Software Pricing & Licensing Survey Report. Flexera. January 2016.

Risk Management within a project or a program is essential and contributes to the success and failure of projects and/or programs. There are numerous ways to identify and mitigate risks associated with each project.

Identifying and monitoring project risks is a pre-requisite for the success of any project. It is also important to understand that each risk should be identified only once. This must be done to allow for proper monitoring, mitigation and managing the risk for the project. Many times, the same risk is identified multiple times within a project, which can create confusion and subsequently can add additional overhead from a risk management perspective. This will make it harder to track the risks and create the illusion of more risks than truly are related to the project.

Additional Risks Add to Project Timeline

Projects will always have risks such as market risks, capital risks or execution risks. When not managed and identified properly, risks can multiply and add unbudgeted scope to each project resulting in wasted resources. Each project must identify the risks through qualitative and quantitative assessment. One way to achieve this is by using brainstorming sessions with all project participants, so that risks are identified, and controls can be put in place for mitigation. This will allow all stakeholders to understand the risks, what is accepted and how the mitigation applies to the risk and the project. In some instances, the risk may impact the budget and or the timeline based on the probability of them occurring. In this instance, the risks cannot be ignored but used for management to make decisions for the next course of action on each risk identified. If fatal risks such as lost market opportunity due to delay in execution are identified, higher level of controls can be put in place to protect the project from a disaster.

Risks Can Provide Opportunities

You may have heard how weaknesses can create potential opportunities during a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis. Risks in a project can also help pave the way for additional opportunities. Projects are based on requirements and deliverables that are driven by the Project Sponsor and Stakeholder goals and objectives. This forms the basis for project initiation and project planning. A thorough review of the requirements and deliverables during the planning process, with an emphasis on the challenges and roadblocks for fulfilling the goals and objectives, will help in identifying the associated risks.. Focus on the end goals and objectives is crucial here, as the goals and objectives typically do not change during the project. This process may add additional tasks and or activities due to identified risks.

Within each risk identified there can be an opportunity to deliver additional services, or an opportunity to identify additional projects and/or additional phases to the project. This helps in looking at a project as a program with a holistic view thereby augmenting value realization for the customer or stakeholder.

You can learn more valuable information as soon as it is published. SUBSCRIBE to the Software License Optimization Blog!

And for the latest insights to Software Asset Management and IT Asset Management, follow SAM Insights on Twitter!

If you need help with your Software License Optimization project, check out the comprehensive consulting, implementation and training offerings from Flexera Global Consulting Services. Our experts in license compliance services are fully versed in software asset management (SAM) best practices as well as the functionality of our solutions. They apply proven methodologies that result in thorough planning, sound design, and smooth implementation and configuration of your Software License Optimization solutions.

]]>0https://blogs.flexera.com/elo/2018/01/all-project-risks-are-not-bad/David Furnishhttps://blogs.flexera.com/elo/?p=27322018-04-05T11:56:07Z2018-01-16T19:39:36ZGood project communication is critical. Without it, a good project is susceptible to difficulties and struggles that can be prevented. For a challenged project, the level of communication can mean the difference between recovery and demise. These are universal truths which are certainly applicable to all projects irrespective of the type of the project.

It seems that communication should be easy enough since we tend to interact with experienced professionals in our careers. However, stakeholder literacy and skill-set does not always translate into a project with good communication. Complexities of geographical distance, technology, and multiple stakeholders who must interact with each other along with corporate politics create additional strain on project communications and can add to the communication challenges. For instance, a project sponsor may have concerns on meeting the planned delivery date due to a perception that project activities are not being completed in a timely manner. In reality, the client project manager may not be regularly sharing project status with senior leadership.

Here are several concepts that can be useful in managing communications on a project:

Basis for Project Interaction

Develop a communication plan that reduces the risk of project interaction issues. Consider what plan elements to include based on these two goals:

Will this process help the project constituents do a better job of sharing information and getting things done?

Will this process be productive for the stakeholders without over burdening already heavy workloads?

If both of these questions can be answered “yes,” then consider implementing the idea. Otherwise, always consider the potential negatives of a process that might not be beneficial.

Projects, Politics, and People

Relationship building is always a work in progress; it will never be fully-finished. There are several important elements that should always be remembered when building and maintaining business relationships:

Respect – The ability to hold another in regard, to value the contribution an individual makes and to treat another with curtesy. For some people, respect comes easy because you value their abilities and they reciprocate, in kind.

Resonance – The way in which you harmonize with other people’s working styles, goals, and points of view. When you have a high resonance with another, there is an easy sense of cooperation.

Effective interpersonal communication cannot occur using short emails and brief interaction with stakeholders. Good communication is the result of sound working relationships. Good relationships are slowly developed through consistent interaction, and honest behavior.

Take the time to always assess which of your working relationships could use some attention and seek to improve both respect and resonance in all of interactions with stakeholders.

Project Vision

Clearly define and communicate the high level objectives for the project with the following items:

Business Vision – the specific business strategy that the project must align with.

Problem or Opportunity – the current state and present conditions.

Mission Statement – future state or end results expected to be attained.

Success Criteria – defined in terms of cost, time, and performance factors.

High Level Scope – expected deliverables and out of scope items.

Assumptions and Constraints – define assumptions and known impositions that could affect the execution of work.

Risks – Identify potential threats to the project success.

Stakeholder Analysis

Determine how a stakeholder should be engaged during the project. The strategy for involvement and communication should be developed after an analysis is completed. Key attributes that should be considered:

Impact – How direct of an impact does this stakeholder have upon the project’s deliverables and outcomes?

Influence – What is the level of influence that this stakeholder has upon the actions and opinions of others?

Inclination – What is the stakeholder’s expected view of the project?

Each stakeholder should be measured for these three attributes as a method for developing a strategy for their inclusion into the project effort.

In summary, good project communication is a critical core component to the successful delivery of projects as well as many other situations that involve the interaction among team resources and stakeholders. Keep these concepts in mind and they should become another valuable tool within your tool set.

Did you find this information useful? Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to the Software License Optimization Blog!

And for the latest insights to Software Asset Management and IT Asset Management, be sure to follow SAM Insights on Twitter!

And if you need help with your Software License Optimization project, be sure to check out the comprehensive consulting, implementation and training offerings from Flexera Global Consulting Services. Our experts in license compliance services are fully versed in software asset management (SAM) best practices as well as the functionality of our solutions. They apply proven methodologies that result in thorough planning, sound design, and smooth implementation and configuration of your Software License Optimization solutions.